I'm going to put up a few pictures from the meal. I won't put them all up, as we have a surprise for Lubey, so I wouldn't want to spoil it. And, if I can get it to work, we have a surprise coming for you too - probably later today.

But wanted to share a few pictures now of our fun.

The great news, of course, is that we did, after all, make our £5000 goal, once all the sponsor money was handed in and Robyn (thank you, Robyn!) did the accounting. There is still money to come, but we knew by then we really could celebrate the end of a great Sheep Walk.

We had our meal in a (very tolerant!) Italian restaurant in the middle of Carlisle town centre called Franco's. It was a bit dark and the part that wasn't a bit dark was against a window, so it was challenging taking good pictures, but you'll get the idea.

Here's about my best effort at a group photo:

While we were waiting for the meal, we took turns signing the Sheep Walk photo cards for all of you!

And then just some jolly pictures of everyone having a good time. Here's Robyn and Wonreka.

A lovely, cheery picture of Maggy

KatJ and Carline posing for someone else's picture, which was often the best way to catch some of the group!

More cheer from Hannah, Maggy and Kat. (Yes, that is my hand turning Hannah's face towards the camera. Lots of problems with that girl and looking the right way . . .)

Carla and Carline, again, posing for someone else!

The people who sat next to me or directly across from me seem to have been the only ones I didn't get decent pictures of. Here's Susan, which begs the question: Why is it always Susan who gets up to mischief in my pictures?

And because she was sitting next to me and against the light, Zoe missed out. Sorry, Zoe, this picture actually was the best one! (As I recall, it was a "Say 'Cheese'!" and snap, before anyone knew what was happening!

And then there was Hannah, sitting next to me on the other side, who kept pointing out I was never getting any nice pictures of her, Zoe and Susan. And to you, Hannah, I want to say, I tried!

First she was busy taking her own pictures:

Then Hannah really threw herself into the card signing activity:

And she kept signing:

And she kept signing:

And she was still working on her cards when the rest of us were getting decidedly jolly . . .

My initial suspicions were raised during the book-signing when Carline casually said to me, "How intimate a thing would you be willing to sign?" Now this is not a question I am asked every day at book-signings. Most definitely not by some nice mother-of-three who has slogged devotedly for weeks drawing sandals on sheep (although perhaps this activity alone should have alerted me to the level of sanity we were dealing with.) But as Carline was single-handedly responsible for getting me to the book-signing on time, I did not really fully take the import of this question on board.

Fast-forward to this pleasant Italian restaurant in the ancient, cobbled centre of Carlisle where 12 weary, noble charity walkers are coming together for an evening's celebration, when suddenly Carline leaps from her chair and . . . I kid you not . . . begins a striptease.

Do remember that we are in the middle of a restaurant on a Saturday evening . . .

And unfortunately, she's not actually very good at it. By this point, she realizes she is in trouble.

Ever helpful, Kat jumps up to help.

Carla helps by pointing out that the people at the adjacent table have begun clapping in unison to encourage Carline and her now-deeply-involved helper, Kat undress in the middle of a restaurant.

At last, the desired article is produced - a bra . . . or should I say a "bra"? . . . as it is not quite like any bra I have ever seen before. Consequently, I had to try it on. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite my size. (Note the man at the table behind me, now in such hysterics he's in danger of needing medical attention.)

And the purpose of this bra? Well, apparently the assembled crew felt that my signing a book just wouldn't quite be enough to make up for Lubey's missing the Sheep Walk this year. Somehow, it seems they felt getting all her friends arrested for indecent behaviour might be better. Anyway, so I signed it.

Following this excitement was a small moment of sanity when I handed out brand-new hot-off-the-press copies of SILENT BOY to the hard-working organisers. In turn, I was presented with something very unusual - a sheep! (In case I should ever forget this event, albeit that I doubt even Alzheimer's could completely relieve me of it . . . !)

And THEN . . . just when I thought the fun couldn't get any more fun, they burst into song. Right there in the restaurant, further ensuring the guy behind us would need medical treatment. I mean, how special is this group? Not only do they raise £5000 for charity, they striptease and they songwrite.

And this I knew was an experience the rest of you just could not miss out on. So here is your chance to join us in celebrating the 2007 Sheep Walk: